Leading automaker, Toyota, has announced that it will be recalling a mind-numbing 3.4 million vehicles sold worldwide due to an observed electronic problem that may hinder their airbags from activating effectively during a crash. The announcement was made on Tuesday, January 21, 2020, in the United States of America.

The Toyota models affected by the recall include Corolla 2011 – 2019, Avalon 2012 – 2018, Matrix 2011 – 2013 and Avalon Hybrid 2013 – 2018. The automaker became concerned about this – following a fatal crash that occurred, involving one of the models. It stated that the electric construct of the vehicles is not adequately shielded from electrical noise, and this could lead to a malfunctioning of the airbags in a crash.

Last year, Toyota and other automakers came under scrutiny by the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) in the US. The vehicles scrutinized are part of the ones Toyota plans to recall.

In a statement released to the public, the NHTSA disclosed that it evaluated two road crashes, one of which was fatal. The crashes involved Toyota vehicles. According to the organization, electrical default was a possible cause of the airbags in the vehicles poorly deploying during the crashes.

Other automakers including Kia, Fiat and Hyundai issued a recall of about 2 million vehicles in 2016 alone for airbag problems. Kia and Hyundai also recalled over 1 million products in 2018 – following concerns for airbag non-deployment.

Owners of the affected models will be contacted by Toyota about arrangements for the recall by March 2020.

Culled from https://naijauto.com/market-news/toyota-to-recall-34-million-vehicles-due-to-airbag-non-deployment-5943